It's the end of Section 230 as we know it...

Top News

• The end of Section 230? A new bill could be coming down the pike that sets a timer on protections long held by online platforms, which allow them to moderate content on their services while also not taking on liability for what their users post. Section 230 has been a bedrock of the modern Internet, but American politicians on both sides of the aisle nonetheless have it in their sights. Precisely what could be accomplished in the current Congressional environment is not clear, but any reductions in the moderation capability of platforms could change the fundamental makeup of online discourse.

• TechCrunch sold: Yahoo has sold TechCrunch to Regent, a media investor that recently bought a number of other technology publications. Yahoo is framing the move as indicative of its role as journalism-aggregator rather than journalism-producer, which is probably fair enough. What will happen to the venerable publication at this juncture is not entirely clear, nor how much of its erstwhile staff will be retained.

• StubHub is going public: After selling to eBay in 2020, and later to a holding company that combined its assets with Viagogo, StubHub is going public! The company’s S-1 filing — here — lists Madrone, Bessemer, WestCap, Declaration Partners, and PointState Capital as holders of 5% or more of its shares. A first-read of the filing shows a large, growing business that could, reportedly, seek a valuation of more than $16 billion in its public offering.

TWiST500

To close out the week, one more company for the TWiST500: BuildOps. TechCrunch’s Mary Ann Azevedo writes that the startup “develops software for commercial services contractors,” a gig so good the company just added $127 million to its coffers in a mammoth Series C raise. BuildOps’ shiny new valuation of $1 billion is a more than doubling of its last private price, set in 2023.

Why does BuildOps meet our TWiST500 criteria? I’ll let Azevedo explain:

A trajectory of $2 million to $6 million to $18 million to $36 million to $72 million would match that cadence. If we were to presume that the company managed just $1 million in revenue in 2020, it would scale to $3 million, $9 million, and then $18 million and $36 million by 2024. Either way, the company is managing a stellar revenue ramp outside of the current AI game.

Much hay has been made over 2021-era unicorns sucking air as they consume scarce remaining cash. Here, BuildOps shows us that the SaaS game is far from dead. That’s good, as most startups have used the SaaS business model to monetize their products in recent years.

BuildOps also hits our ‘companies working on real-world tasks’ thesis, which certainly encompasses commercial contracting. Onward! — Alex

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This Week in Startups

E2100: It’s a contentious, divisive, no-holds-barred episode of TWiST! First, Jason, Lon, and Alex survey the aftermath of Mark Rober’s viral Tesla Experiment gone wrong. Was this just a fun YouTube goof that people are taking too seriously? Serious journalistic malpractice? Something WORSE? PLUS Google’s Wiz acquisition, the SEC drops its case against XRP, and much much more.

E2099: On a very special BONUS TUESDAY edition of TWiST, Alex chats with not one but TWO incredible founders! First up, Replit CEO Amjad Masad stops by to talk about “vibecoding” and the future of collaboration with AI agents. THEN, we’ve got Starfish Space co-founder Austin Link explaining why we need a satellite towing service, and how they can help clean up Earth’s orbit. Space! Cutting edge technology! What more could you want?

E2098: We had to record early before Jason got snowed in! So on a special Sunday night This Week in Startups, hear Jason, Alex, and Lon talk Klarna’s big IPO, and whether their interest rates are usurious… PLUS is $300 million too much for a Netflix Original movie? Is the era of remote work, and even remote job interviews, over for good? AND was Mark Rober’s Tesla self-driving experiment entirely fair? All that and MORE on a brand new TWiST!

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Angel University

Angel University is back! Jason and Mike, President at LAUNCH, are hosting our next live Angel.University workshop in person on Wednesday, April 23rd, in NYC. Jason will be teaching the strategies he’s used to invest $100M+ in 300+ startups over the past decade. Register at: angel.university.

Founder University

Applications are open for Founder University Cohort 10, a 12-week remote pre-accelerator program tailored towards navigating early-startup practices, building an MVP, and growing traction. Submit your application at Founder University— Cohort 10 will kick off Spring 2025!

LAUNCH Accelerator

Applications are open for the 34th cohort of the LAUNCH Accelerator; a 14-week program focused on fundraising and growth. We invest $125K in our accepted companies and help them raise their pre-seed or seed round. Submit your application at LAUNCH Accelerator.

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